


What makes a Pack?

by InsaneJuliann



Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2020 [5]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: M/M, Pre-Relationship, Werewolf AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:27:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24816826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsaneJuliann/pseuds/InsaneJuliann
Summary: Day 5: Eddie and His Idiot HusbandBuck is so much of what Pack should be, without even knowing that he’s doing it.Eddie’s in trouble. Especially when he catches himself scenting his best friend.
Relationships: Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Eddie Diaz Week 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1789495
Comments: 41
Kudos: 348





	What makes a Pack?

**Author's Note:**

> Back at this werewolf AU.
> 
> I had another idea for this day, but I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to finish it in a way I was happy with in time, so you get more of this.

Eddie looked from Carla back to Buck, unable to help the smile on his face, the near awe he felt from showing. 

Buck was human. Entirely and obliviously human.  Sure, humans helped their family and friends out, like packs did, but –

Buck barely knew them. Hell, he’d only known of Chris for a little while, and yet he’d done this, found Eddie someone to help him wade through everything and look after Chris while he couldn’t, take some of the load off of Abuela. Because Eddie has mentioned how tough it was, just the once. 

Hen had joked to Eddie that Buck was practically the adult human form of a pup, and with the eager and almost hopeful smile on his face, Eddie could see it. It made his hand itch to do something like ruffle Buck’s hair, like he would Chris, an affectionate touch Eddie had never really given anyone except Chris before, maybe a few of his younger cousins when they were smaller, his niece. 

Buck wasn’t pack, Eddie remined himself sternly, following after Carla. Buck didn’t know what he was doing, providing Eddie with help like this, quietly making moves without asking to help support Eddie and take care of Chris, placing food around for the three of them while Eddie and Carla talked. Buck didn’t know the way all of that would be quiet ways of strengthening pack bonds. 

He was 100% human.

Chris already adored him, and he’d barely spent more than a day with him.  Eddie’d already warned Chris that he had to make sure not to shift around Buck, which had gotten grumbly agreement that Eddie wasn’t sure he trusted for long. He’d have to figure out what to do about that. Maybe ask Abuela or  Pepa what they had done.

Eddie glanced over, caught Buck’s eye. Buck grinned at him, and Eddie couldn’t help smiling back again. 

Fuck, he was in trouble already, wasn’t he?

“ You busy tomorrow?” he asked, later, after Carla had left.

“Me? No.” Buck turned from where he was placing things in the sink. 

Eddie nodded. “Was gonna take Chris to one of the parks near the house, check it out. Want to tag along?”

“Yeah.” Buck’s grin creased his cheeks. “I love your kid, he’s cool.”

“Yeah, he is.”

So much trouble.

~*~*~

It started pretty lowkey. Enough that when Eddie noticed he was doing it, he could rationalize it to himself.

He wasn’t leaving his scent on Buck. Buck was clearly just a very physically affectionate person, one who enjoyed receiving as well as giving touches. So Eddie’s hand on Buck’s head, playfully ruffling his hair when he lost a game to Hen in the lounge, or Eddie’s arm over Buck’s shoulders, or leaning in close enough they touched... it was fine. So what if some of Eddie’s scent was left behind on Buck? They hung out a lot, it happened.

Hen kept shooting him smirks and raised brows. Eddie ignored her.

Of course it didn’t stay that easy. Nothing did. Eddie found himself touching more, frowning when it had been a day or two and the faint scent of Eddie (and often Chris) has faded away, getting more bold about it.

And then... Shannon was back.

~*~*~

“Hey,” Buck said, sounding surprised.

Eddie swallowed the whine in his throat. It was harder to push down the guilt.

“Hey.”

Buck hobbled backwards, breathing shifting in a way Eddie knee was strain and maybe pain. He stepped closer, grabbing Buck around the waist and supporting some of his weight.

“I thought your parents were over.”

“They left yesterday.” Hadn’t stayed for the ceremony, not that Eddie had really expected them to. They were angry still. That he wasn’t following their lead, that he had left the pack and taken Chris with him, that he had refused to come back. 

Buck had been there, though, despite being fucking injured as badly as he was. Chris and Abuela and Pepa had been there, and that had been all the family Eddie needed.

“You okay?” Buck was watching him. Their faces were close. He was so concerned, even when he had his own shit going on, and Eddie -

It had been a long time since Eddie had felt cared for like that.

He stopped, turning. Buck shifted with him, brows pulling down. 

Eddie grabbed at him and yanked Buck in, burying his face against Buck’s neck. Clutching at him, scenting him like he normally never let himself.

Eddie’s woken up more often lately from new nightmares. Shannon dying. The scent of blood and death lingering on her. Buck pinned and in so much pain Eddie’s nose had burned with it, throat tight with the whines and growls and snarls he couldn’t let out with so many humans around and watching. He’d thought Buck might die too. He really had. Buck’s return grip to Eddie’s hold of his hand had been weak, but he _had_ held on, best he could. 

Eddie had worried so much though, before they’d gotten word Buck was okay. He’d walk again. No one wanted to say anything about him working again, but Eddie knew. Buck could do it, Buck _would_ do it. Because it was Buck.

Because Eddie couldn’t imagine this new life of his without Buck at his side, on the job and off.

Buck’s head was tilted down, into Eddie’s own neck. Eddie didn’t think, just acted as he rubbed his cheek, his chin, against whatever area of Buck he could reach.

“Buck... I should tell you....”

“Hm?” Buck pulled back. He looked exhausted, eyes a little hazy like maybe he’d taken his pain meds recently. “What?”

“...Nevermind.” This wasn’t a good time for it - Buck wasn’t in any state to be getting that kind of information, and Eddie wasn’t sure he was in any place to handle Buck’s lack of belief when he said it.

Plus it wasn’t just him he had to worry about. Abuela, Pepa. _Chris_. Eddie would be putting them all at risk too if he-

“Is this about your, uh.” Buck shifted back a bit, brought his hands up near his face with hands in mock claws and make a frankly dumb growl or snarl type or noise.

Eddie stared. “What.”

Buck shrugged, way too chill. “You _were_ gonna you’re a werewolf, right?”

“ _What_.”

Buck scratched at the back of his neck, the slight twist and half smile on his face speaking to some kind of sheepish embarrassment. “Eh, you know.” He shrugged, but there wasn’t any kind of smile or amusement in his eyes. Something dark was hiding there. “You learn things.”

“You learned about werewolves. And identifying them.” There weren’t a lot of ways that was likely. Eddie opened his mouth to a ask but Buck cut him off.

“That is what you were gonna say right? Cause this is real awkward if it wasn’t. Didn’t mean to like - out you or-“

“Buck.” Eddie huffed, an almost laugh, amused and relieved. “That was it.”

“Okay, cool.” Buck beamed.

And Eddie... he decided to let it go. Except-

“Have you been _letting_ me scent you this whole _time_?”

Buck’s chin dipped, but he smiled up at Eddie, bashful and pleased. “I wasn’t sure you were at first, but...” He shrugged. Still holding Eddie’s eyes, he said, “I don’t mind.” There was a weight to it, and it filled the air between them.

“Alright then,” Eddie murmured, heart racing just a bit.

He wasn’t ready to address it, to acknowledge what neither of them was saying right then. He’d just lost Shannon, twice in rapid succession. He was still - hurting over it, confused. And Buck has just been through a seriously physically and probably mentally traumatic event, had a lot of healing to do.

But... later?

Eddie was going to make sure they talked about this.

For now, though, “Cool if I keep doing it?”

Buck smiled, cheeks creasing, eyes bright. “Totally. Scent away.”

Eddie snorted, grabbing Buck by the back of the neck for a moment before slipping his arm back around his waist and moving them for Buck’s couch. “C’mon, lets put something on and I’ll order a pizza.”

It was his turn to take care of Buck, give him what he needed when he was struggling. Affection and time. Food. Patience. Buck was human and somehow he knew about werewolves, and that meant maybe he had known what he was doing the whole time. Maybe he had wanted to be like pack for Eddie.

Maybe Eddie _wanted_ Buck to be pack. They’d need to talk, but....

For now, this was enough. 


End file.
